Make memories instead of worrying about the mess.
I couldn’t find a glass to drink from. The dishwasher was empty and the cabinet bare. “Where are all the glasses?” I asked my family. Silence. Then I knew. They were in my kid’s rooms. Pilled up, one on top of another, mold forming in the bottom of some of the glasses.
Dirty dishes. They never end. Ever. You do them, the kitchen is clean, and then several hours later it's time to eat again. Which means, more dirty dishes to clean. Just like laundry, another chore that is always there, lingering in the background.
If you have kids living in your home, you can probably relate to having a messy house.
I struggle with trying to be efficient with this. Efficient with keeping things neat and organized. Efficient with staying on top of what needs to be done.
I'm trying to embrace my messy house and the endless string of chores that's just part of life.
I've gone through many stages in my life. As a teenager, I was a slob. Something I try to remind myself of when I walk into my kid's rooms and almost feel like I should be wearing a mask to prevent any harmful germs from seeping into my lungs.
In college, my space was smaller. It was easy to trash and then easy to cleanup. As an adult, I've gone from not caring, to caring too much, to now: trying to do what needs to be done, but not letting my desire for a clean house get in the way of making memories and messes with my kids.
Messes can be cleaned up but I can't go back in time. Once the kids are grown and out of the house, I will have a much cleaner home and also an empty space in my heart. I try to remind myself of this. Especially, as I trip on book bags that are camped out on the den floor, lunch boxes filled with moldy food and laundry that has been put back in the pile to be washed, even though the items aren’t dirty. It's easier to put clean laundry on top of the washing machine rather than on a hanger in the closet. Who knew?
If you have a messy house because of children living in it, you're truly blessed. Remember this. Try to relax a little bit with the chores and remember the laundry and dishes will be there tomorrow. Enjoy the time you have with your family. Now.
Of course, we need to tidy our homes, teach our kids responsibilities and live in a clean environment. Just don't sacrifice being with your family to have a perfectly clean home.
Being perfect is so overrated.
Dara is an inspirational writer and speaker and the founder of the popular blog, Crazy Perfect Life.